Howard police link peeping tom suspect to 2020 Old Navy incident – ​​Baltimore Sun

An Owings Mill man charged with 68 counts of illegally recording videos of women in Howard County and illegally accessing private patient information at his workplace is also linked to a March 2020 peeping tom incident, according to charging documents from Howard County Police.

Delano Draine, 43, was charged last month with voyeurism, video surveillance, theft and computer crimes, according to a Howard County police news release. Draine, who allegedly recorded upskirt and dressing room videos of at least 11 women in Howard County, matched the description of a suspect in a March 2020 voyeurism incident at an Old Navy in the police investigation, according to the indictment.

Draine is also accused of collecting cellphone passwords from coworkers and patients while working as a dental assistant. At least 37 women were notified that Draine stole their photos and videos after going through their phones, according to Howard County police.

In Maryland, state law makes it illegal to visually monitor a person in a private place without their consent, including using cameras, mirrors, or other electronic devices. Locker rooms and restrooms are considered private places.

Warren A. Brown, the attorney representing Draine, said he intends to have Draine evaluated for mental health issues and possibly have him transferred to a psychiatric hospital. Draine’s actions were “outside the range of behavior” that people are “accustomed to” seeing, Brown said.

“Locking people up for mental health issues without providing them with any help is, in my opinion, cruel, unusual and inhumane,” Brown said.

Police originally identified Draine as a suspect after a 16-year-old girl saw someone holding a cellphone over her dressing room door at an Aeropostale at the Mall in Columbia last December. She opened the dressing room door and saw a man immediately leave the store. The girl then alerted her aunt, who followed the suspect out of the store and recorded the confrontation, according to charging documents.

The suspect attempted to hide his face and quickly fled the scene. Police used mall security footage and video of the confrontation, compared with a photo of his driver’s license, to identify Draine.

During a search of Draine’s home, police found clothing consistent with that worn by the suspect in the reported incident, according to the indictment. Draine admitted to being at the mall in Columbia weeks earlier and led investigators to his cellphone, which was hidden in a shoebox on the top shelf of his mother’s bedroom closet.

A review of the footage on Draine’s phone revealed several videos of women filmed from behind as they walked in a mall, as well as footage from inside dressing rooms in a store. Additionally, videos were shot under openings in dressing room doors showing women in various states of undress, police charging documents say.

Draine also faces charges of theft and computer crimes. The charge of illegal computer access dates back to March 9, 2023, according to the indictment.

Anyone with information about this case can contact Howard County Police at 410-313-STOP or [email protected].